Hey, I heard there are some friendly souls out there who give advice on cube construction. I'm very much aware that it's a work in progress, so I'd love to hear your opinions!
I'm on a pretty tight budget, and you'll see some cards that stand out as really terrible. What I'd like to do is slowly replace the worst cards with really good replacements. Your advice plz!
<3 rdm1288
Cube Info:
Cube Size: ~430 Cards
Breakdown: 53 Each Color, 50 Artifacts, ~50 Land, 75 Multicolor
Standard or Theme Cube: Standard
Snow Lands: No
Average # Players: 2-4
How Often Drafted: 1-2 Times Weekly (Mostly Sealed Deck, Winston Draft)
Powered?: No, but only because of budget
Portal?: No, but only because of budget
"Un-" Cards: No
Banned Cards for Power-Level: No
Banned Cards for Time Constraints: No
Banned Cards for "Fun" factor: No
Standard or Multiplayer: Standard
Sideboards?: Yes
Proxies?: Not yet
Functional Reprints?: Yes
Even Color Balance: Yes
Perfect Creature/Non-Creature Balance: No
Gold Balance: Yes
Hybrid/Split/Kicker as Gold: Inconsistent
Color Triggers as Gold: Inconsistent
Perfectly Balanced CMC: No
Cube CMC: 3.06
the list doesn't look too bad. i'd separate creature and noncreature, though, it makes it much easier to evaluate. it looks like you're a bit low on sweepers and have put a fair number of multicolor creatures in monocolor sections, which is a bit odd but not unheard of. i'll take a more in depth look later (probably after eidolon lets his magic program do most of the work :p).
When I see Healing Salve, I'm often like "Oh girl, I wish I could turn every card into this." Thanks they removed the gain life part, otherwise this would have been broken.
Welcome to the forum. Yes, please reorganize so creatures and noncreatures are split. Also, most of the people on this forum will agree with me that your multicolor section is too large for this size cube. I'd cut two per color pair and then beef up your other sections. Remember that multicolor cards go in fewer decks than monocolored or colorless ones and will therefore go undrafted quite often.
Two inexpensive Portal cards that are very good are Fire Imp and Jungle Lion. Jungle Lion is an excellent aggro creature for green and Fire Imp is like a baby Flametongue Kavu.
Some specific and random suggestions: W
-Akrasan Squire
-Soul Warden
-Oust
-Condem
I tried to avoid recommending any really expensive stuff because I don't know what kind of budget your on. I think your black and blue needs more work than your white. Your black needs better creatures and aggro could use a boost. Still, we all start someplace and all of our cubes improve over time. I hope I've helped. I'd do more but I gotta get back to work.
In before the eidolon232 bot comes and sets this cube straight!
I would with your cube not really being that much bigger than the standard cube see if you can slim down the gold section to 3 each color, and use those extras to power the main colors.
the problem with magus of the abyss (and braids, cabal minion) is that nobody knows what to do with the darn things. haha, what are they good for exactly?
When I see Healing Salve, I'm often like "Oh girl, I wish I could turn every card into this." Thanks they removed the gain life part, otherwise this would have been broken.
Ah, so I guess its like most of these weird-looking cards -- you plan for it, but your opponent doesn't, so you win. Thanks.
Thanks for your advice so far. I think you were right about Juggernaut -- I'll put him back in when I get home. We'll be trying out the new manafacts...
As for big blue cards... At this point, it's not Keiga, so I'm just trying out the bad blue finishers I have sitting around :/
I'm on a pretty tight budget, and you'll see some cards that stand out as really terrible. What I'd like to do is slowly replace the worst cards with really good replacements. Your advice plz!
<3 rdm1288
Cube Info:
Breakdown: 53 Each Color, 50 Artifacts, ~50 Land, 75 Multicolor
Standard or Theme Cube: Standard
Snow Lands: No
Average # Players: 2-4
How Often Drafted: 1-2 Times Weekly (Mostly Sealed Deck, Winston Draft)
Powered?: No, but only because of budget
Portal?: No, but only because of budget
"Un-" Cards: No
Banned Cards for Power-Level: No
Banned Cards for Time Constraints: No
Banned Cards for "Fun" factor: No
Standard or Multiplayer: Standard
Sideboards?: Yes
Proxies?: Not yet
Functional Reprints?: Yes
Even Color Balance: Yes
Perfect Creature/Non-Creature Balance: No
Gold Balance: Yes
Hybrid/Split/Kicker as Gold: Inconsistent
Color Triggers as Gold: Inconsistent
Perfectly Balanced CMC: No
Cube CMC: 3.06
See the Cube on Deckstats:
http://deckstats.net/deck-662724-dcfd890e3ddd5b57a07b579763edd77a-en.htmll
Thanks!
9/17/2010 : Original Post
12/7/2010 : Update
1/2/2011: Update
5/25/2011: Update... so good
Two inexpensive Portal cards that are very good are Fire Imp and Jungle Lion. Jungle Lion is an excellent aggro creature for green and Fire Imp is like a baby Flametongue Kavu.
Some specific and random suggestions:
W
-Akrasan Squire
-Soul Warden
-Oust
-Condem
+Swords to Plowshares
+Path to Exile
+Savannah Lions
+Student of Warfare
+Mother of Runes
-Sigiled Paladan
-Kor Firewalker
-Knight of the Holy Nimbus
+Soltari Priest
+Soltari Trooper
+Silver Knight
+Disenchant
-Knight Captain of Eos
-Conqueror's Pledge
-False Prophet
-Riftmarked Knight
-Scourglass
+Wrath of God
+Rout
+Decree of Justice
+Catastrophe
+Yosei, the Morning Star
+Eternal Dragon
+Karmic Guide
U
-Broken Ambitions
-Courier's Capsule
-Drain Power
-Sejiri Merfolk (this has to be considered WU to be cubeworthy)
-Spreading Seas
-Cancel
-Fabricate
+Gilded Drake
+Forbid
+Deep Analysis
+Dismiss
+Thieving Magpie
+Glen Elendra Archmage
+Aether Adept
B
-Ghost-Lit Stalker
-Vampire Bats
-Vendetta
-Dark Tutelage
-Hideous End
-Ichor Slick
-Rise from the Grave
-Soul Snuffers
-Extractor Demon
+Mind Twist
+Thoughtseize
+Reanimate
+Sarcomancy
+Innocent Blood
+Phyrexian Arena
+Dauthi Horror
+Dauthi Marauder
+Oona's Prowler
+Bane of the Living
+Graveborn Muse
+Bone Shredder
+Beacon of Unrest
I tried to avoid recommending any really expensive stuff because I don't know what kind of budget your on. I think your black and blue needs more work than your white. Your black needs better creatures and aggro could use a boost. Still, we all start someplace and all of our cubes improve over time. I hope I've helped. I'd do more but I gotta get back to work.
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
I would with your cube not really being that much bigger than the standard cube see if you can slim down the gold section to 3 each color, and use those extras to power the main colors.
WTF: I GOT EIDOLON STOMPED
I'll hopefully place an order soon for some of the new cards, and I'll make some cuts on the multicolor side (even if it hurts!).
I'll post an update after the next order comes in.
Thanks for your advice so far. I think you were right about Juggernaut -- I'll put him back in when I get home. We'll be trying out the new manafacts...
As for big blue cards... At this point, it's not Keiga, so I'm just trying out the bad blue finishers I have sitting around :/
Anyway, a few other changes from this weekend:
out:
- Scepter of Dominance
- Beloved Chaplain
- False Prophet
- Vampire Bats
- Soul Snuffers
out at last!in:
- Goldmeadow Harrier
- Blade of the Sixth Pride
- Ajani Goldmane
- Grasp of Darkness
- Skinrender
- Arc Trail
- Spikeshot elder
haha, gotta try it...i've done some major updates, finally got around to posting it. i just put it on deckstats -- is that ok?
thanks for your help....
http://deckstats.net/deck-449339-8f047c33d703ce09eac6e75c11a89849-en.html
just posted a big update on deckstats:
http://deckstats.net/deck-662724-dcfd890e3ddd5b57a07b579763edd77a-en.html
edit: please note that I removed the Vivids and the Signets from this list so that Deckstats could handle it (over ~425 wouldn't work)
I'd love some advice for the next 10-20 cards I could buy to make this better.
thanks for your help!
rdm1288